This invention relates to control mechanisms. More specifically, this invention relates to self-aligning control mechanisms.
Electronic apparatus of various kinds, including medical diagnostic apparatus, utilize control actuating mechanisms for adjustment of brightness, contrast, volume and the like parameters. Not infrequently, the actuating mechanisms must satisfy specific and demanding design criteria. The mechanism must be capable of accommodating misalignments in the X-, Y- and Z-axis directions due to wide tolerance variations in the apparatus in which the mechanism is used. To facilitate apparatus assembly, the actuating mechanism must be easily aligned without tedious adjustment. Similarly, the mechanism must be easy to remove and reinstall, preferably with minimum use of tools, for ease of service access to the apparatus. The mechanism must also have good operating characteristics such as smoothness and freedom from backlash. The foregoing and other criteria must be achieved in spite of typically limited spaced available for the mechanism. It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a low-cost control mechanism fulfilling these and other requirements.